BANGKOK — A transgender woman accused of insulting Islam during a livestream was surrounded by an angry crowd of Muslim protesters in Bangkok’s Ramkhamhaeng area on Sunday night, before police intervened to escort her away amid fears of violence.
The incident took place in Soi Ramkhamhaeng 53, Bangkok after controversy erupted online over a livestream by a person known as “Madam Lor,” originally from Narathiwat, who allegedly mocked verses from the Quran and made offensive remarks about Islam during an online debate. The dispute reportedly stemmed from an argument over the wearing of hijab by transgender Muslims, after some Muslim community members criticised transgender women for dressing in ways deemed inconsistent with Islamic teachings.
Video clips from the livestream spread rapidly across social media platforms and drew backlash from Muslim communities in Thailand and abroad, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and parts of the Arab world.
Community leaders later arranged a meeting at a restaurant in Ramkhamhaeng 53 on May 10 in an attempt to ease tensions and prevent the situation from escalating further. However, news of the meeting prompted thousands of angry protesters to gather outside the venue.
Inside the restaurant, Madam Lor reportedly apologised to her family and society, saying the remarks were made in a moment of anger. Protesters allegedly demanded that she slap herself and shave her head as a sign of repentance.
The situation later descended into chaos as people outside the venue, unaware of the apology, attempted to push through the crowd to confront her. More than 10 patrol police officers were deployed to break through the crowd and escort her safely from the area to a police station for legal proceedings.
The incident has sparked widespread debate online, with some condemning the alleged insult to religion, while others criticised the public humiliation and intimidation, saying it violated personal rights and risked provoking mob justice.